International Banana Union Alliance

Las afiliadas de la UITA representan a los/as trabajadores/as del banano en Am�rica Latina, Europa, el Caribe, Asia y �frica. Como respuesta a los desaf�os que afrontan nuestras afiliadas en todas esas regiones, la UITA ha establecido La Alianza Internacional de Sindicatos del Banano (IBUA, por su sigla en ingl�s) .

La Alianza existir� como parte del Grupo Profesional de Trabajadores Agr�colas de la UITA creado en 1994, cuando �sta se convirti� en una organizaci�n que representa a trabajadores/as agr�colas de todo el mundo.

El Departamento Latinoamericano de la UITA para los Trabajadores del Banano se estableci� en la muy reciente reuni�n del Comit� Regional Latinoamericano, que tuvo lugar en Buenos Aires, los d�as 17 al 19 de marzo del 2005. La UITA ha de crear redes similares en otras regiones donde reforzar�an a los sindicatos de trabajadores/as del banano.

La Alianza funcionar� inicialmente mediante un sitio web en red instalado por la UITA en:

http://www.iuf.org/bananas/

El sitio web permitir� aportes multiling�es de los sindicatos del banano y ser� una fuente de informaci�n acerca del sector desde la UITA y otras organizaciones con las cuales la UITA trabaja estrechamente en el sector del banano.

Se celebrar� una reuni�n internacional de sindicatos del sector del banano en el a�o 2006 y tendr� lugar un debate adicional entre las organizaciones sindicales interesadas en la Conferencia Internacional de Trabajadores del Banano, a efectuarse en Bruselas del 28 al 30 de abril del 2005 (ver los detalles de la conferencia en el sitio de la red:
http://www.iuf.org/bananas/).

Posted by IUF at 05:14 PM | Permalink

Des affili�es de l�UITA repr�sentent les travailleurs/euses des bananes en Am�rique latine, en Europe, dans les Cara�bes, en Asie et en Afrique. En r�ponse aux d�fis auxquels sont confront�es nos affili�es dans toutes ces r�gions, l�UITA a cr�� l�Alliance mondiale des syndicats de la banane (International Alliance of Banana Unions - IBUA) .

L�Alliance s�ins�rera dans le Groupe professionnel des travailleurs/euses de l�agriculture (GPTA), form� en 1994 au moment o� l�UITA est devenue une organisation repr�sentant des travailleurs/euses agricoles du monde entier.

Le Bureau des travailleurs/euses des bananes de l�UITA en Am�rique latine a �t� �tabli � l�occasion de la derni�re r�union du Comit� r�gional de l�UITA pour l�Am�rique latine, tenue � Buenos Aires du 17 au 19 mars 2005. L�UITA �tablira des r�seaux similaires dans les autres r�gions o� ils pourront renforcer les organisations syndicales repr�sentant les travailleurs/euses des bananes.

L�Alliance fonctionnera d�abord par l�entremise d�un site Web cr�� par l�UITA � l�adresse suivante :

http://www.iuf.org/bananas/

Le site Web permettra de recevoir des communications en plusieurs langues des organisations syndicales du secteur et constituera une source d�informations provenant de l�UITA et d�autres organisations avec qui l�UITA travaille en �troite collaboration dans le secteur de la banane.

Une r�union internationale des organisations syndicales du secteur de la banane se tiendra en 2006; d�autres discussions entre les organisations syndicales int�ress�es auront lieu � l�occasion de la Conf�rence internationale des travailleurs/euses de la banane, qui se tiendra � Bruxelles du 28 au 30 avril 2005 (consultez le site du r�seau pour plus de d�tails sur la conf�rence :

http://www.iuf.org/bananas/).

Posted by IUF at 04:18 PM | Permalink

IUF affiliates represent banana workers in Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. In response to the challenges facing our affiliates in all those regions the IUF has established The International Banana Union Alliance (IBUA) .

The Alliance will exist as part of the IUF's Agricultural Workers Trade Group established in 1994 when the IUF became an organization representing agricultural workers worldwide.

The IUF's Latin American Department for Banana Workers was established at the most recent meeting of the Latin American Regional Committee which met in Buenos Aires March 17-19, 2005. The IUF will be setting up similar networks in other regions where they would bring strength to banana workers' unions.

The Alliance will initially function through a network web site set up by the IUF at:

http://www.iuf.org/bananas/

The web site will allow multi-language contributions from banana unions and will be a source of information about the sector from the IUF and other organizations with whom the IUF workers closely in the banana sector.

An international meeting of unions in the banana sector will be held in 2006 and a further discussion amongst interested unions will take place at the International Banana Workers Conference which takes place in Brussels April 28-30, 2005 (see the details of the conference on the network site:
http://www.iuf.org/bananas/).

Posted by IUF at 07:45 PM | Permalink

To read more click here

Posted by IUF at 03:11 PM | Permalink

From April 28-30, 2005 in Brussels, Belgium, the IUF will co-organise a major international conference to bring together all players in the industry around the theme of "Reversing the race to the bottom".

I. Objectives:

In the light of the crisis affecting the sector since 1999, the scheduled changes to EU banana import policy in 2006 and its potential devastating impacts for both ACP and non-ACP producers and workers, and in the perspective of the possible end of ACP tariff preferences by 2008, the Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Sindicatos Bananeros (COLSIBA), the Association of Caribbean Farmers (WINFA), the European Banana Action Network (EUROBAN), International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Tobacco & Allied Workers� (IUF), and United States Labor Education in the Americas Project (US/LEAP) propose an International Banana Conference in Brussels in April/May 2005 with the following objectives :

Secure commitments by governments and banana companies to respect/enforce labour and trade union rights and standards for workers in all producing countries

Secure commitments by marketing companies to fair remuneration for small producers and plantation workers

Place the specific needs of women workers and small farmers firmly on the international agenda

Explore mechanisms to control over-production and to stabilise prices

Elaborate a definition of a �fair price�

Analyse the implications of changes in the structure of the chain (notably the growing power of the supermarkets)

Propose viable measures for an EU-25 banana import regime that favours sustainable production and fair trade

Secure better protection of the working, living and natural environment

Analyse the impact to date � and discuss the future role � of the voluntary labour and environmental standards initiatives

Create a permanent mechanism/forum in which to continue dialogue (and/or negotiations) between the different actors

For more details visit the IBC II web site by clicking here

Posted by IUF at 02:50 PM | Permalink

The IUF has banana workers' unions in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Caribbean and Europe. These unions face tremendous challenges to organise and represent workers in the sector. This site is intended to help unions in the IUF's global banana network to exchange information and develop strategies on key issues like occupational health and safety, equality, trade, transnational companies.

Posted by IUF at 02:40 PM | Permalink